Wine Regions of the World

Southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux and the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.

Maritime, moderated by the Atlantic; wet springs, warm summers and long autumns make vintage variation a defining feature.

Eastern-central France, running in a narrow band from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south.

Continental; cold springs, warm summers and harvest risk make vintage variation extreme and quality highly site-dependent.

Northeastern France, east of Paris, around the towns of Épernay and Reims.

The coolest major wine region in France; its marginal climate is the reason Champagne is sparkling - grapes rarely ripen enough to make still wine.

Eastern France, following the Rhône river from Lyon south to Avignon and the Mediterranean.

Northern section is continental with cool winds; the southern section is Provençal, hot and dry with the famous Mistral wind.

Central and western France, along the Loire river from Sancerre in the east to Nantes at the Atlantic.

Cool and maritime in the west, continental in the east; the freshness suits crisp, aromatic whites.

Northeastern France, a narrow strip between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine river along the German border.

One of France's driest and most protected regions; the Vosges shield the vineyards from Atlantic rain, giving long sunny autumns.

Southeastern France, from the Rhône delta east along the Mediterranean coast to the Italian border.

Hot, dry Mediterranean summers with long sunshine and the cooling Mistral wind.

Central Italy, around Florence and Siena, stretching from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian coast.

Warm, dry summers and cool nights; hilltop vineyards benefit from good diurnal temperature swings.

Northwest Italy, in the foothills of the Alps around the towns of Alba, Asti and Barolo.

Continental; cold winters, warm days and cool nights that preserve Nebbiolo's extraordinary aromatics and acidity.

Northeastern Italy, from the Dolomites foothills to Venice and the Adriatic; the plain around Verona and Treviso.

Variable; Alpine breezes in the north, a mild, humid climate on the plains near the sea.

The largest island in the Mediterranean, at Italy's southern tip, dominated by Mount Etna.

Hot, dry summers; but the volcanic slopes of Etna, at altitude, offer cool nights and dramatic freshness.

South Australia, an hour northeast of Adelaide; Australia's most famous red-wine region.

Hot and dry continental; the oldest vines on earth help preserve acidity even at high ripeness.

New South Wales, two hours north of Sydney - one of Australia's oldest wine regions.

Warm and humid, with summer rain; growers manage disease pressure and pursue early-picked elegance.

Southwestern Australia, on the Indian Ocean, about three hours south of Perth.

Maritime Mediterranean; a long, dry, mild ripening season with ocean influence gives concentrated yet fresh wines.

Victoria, just an hour east of Melbourne - cool-climate country of hills and forests.

Cool and maritime; long, gentle ripening suited to early-ripening grapes, with vintage variation for interest.

South Australia, south of Adelaide, between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the sea.

Warm Mediterranean with pronounced sea breezes from Gulf St Vincent; long, dry autumns.

South Australia, a hundred miles north of Adelaide, set among gum trees and hills.

Warmer than the southern regions, but cool nights preserve Riesling's signature acidity.

South Australia's southeast, near the Limestone Coast on the Victoria border.

Cool, maritime-influenced with a long even ripening season and sea breezes.

South Australia, just 15 minutes east of Adelaide, sprawling across the cool Mount Lofty Ranges.

Cool maritime with significant rainfall; 400-650m altitude gives crisp acidity in white wines.

Victoria, an hour south of Melbourne, a cool peninsula wrapped by Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait.

Maritime and cool, with longer, gentler ripening season; a haven for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The island state off southern Australia - Australia's coolest wine region, south of the mainland.

The coolest maritime climate in Australia - ideal for sparkling wine and delicate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Northern Spain, along the Ebro river, split between the regions of La Rioja, Álava and Navarra.

Continental in the upper reaches, with Atlantic and Mediterranean influences; oak ageing is central to the style.

North-central Spain, along the Duero river in the province of Burgundy, over 800m above sea level.

High continental altitude with harsh winters, hot summers and strong diurnal swings - extreme but perfect for Tempranillo.

Northeast Spain, inland from Tarragona in Catalonia, a rugged amphitheatre of black slate hills.

Hot, dry Mediterranean with dramatic temperature swings; yields are brutally low.

Northwest Spain's Atlantic coast, in the region of Galicia; Rías Baixas means 'lower estuaries'.

Cool, wet and heavily Atlantic-influenced - the opposite of most Spanish wine regions, and ideal for white grapes.

Southwestern Spain, around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, near the Atlantic.

Hot, dry Mediterranean summers with cool Atlantic breezes and high humidity - perfect for flor.

Northern California, a valley in Napa County, north of San Francisco Bay.

Warm, dry Mediterranean days cooled by evening fog through the bay; varied microclimates along the valley.

California, north of San Francisco, the coastal county west of Napa - a diverse patchwork of valleys.

Cool Pacific fog and wind, especially near the coast; like Napa, days are warm and nights cool.

Western Oregon, a broad fertile valley running between the Coast Range and the Cascade Mountains, around Portland and Salem.

Cool, wet winters and dry summers; the valley's maritime climate suits Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Western Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes about 1,000km west of Buenos Aires.

Desert-like: hot, dry, high-altitude (600-1,400m) days with cold nights - ideal for Malbec.

Northern Portugal, following the Douro river east from Porto - a World Heritage terraced valley.

Continental with scorching summer heat; the steep slopes, altitude and schist soils stress the vines.

Northwestern Portugal, the lush, rainy Minho region between the Douro and the Atlantic.

Cool, wet, Atlantic; the name means 'green wine' - a reference to its youthful freshness.

Central Chile, just southeast of Santiago, the historic heartland of Chilean wine at the foot of the Andes.

Mediterranean with the Andes' cold night air pulling in; a long, warm, dry season.

Northeastern corner of New Zealand's South Island, around the town of Blenheim.

Sunny, dry, maritime with cool nights and a long growing season - the world's Sauvignon Blanc capital.

New Zealand's South Island interior, around Queenstown and Cromwell - the world's southernmost wine region.

Extreme continental: intense summer heat and long frosty nights, giving Pinot Noir unusual concentration.

The east coast of New Zealand's North Island, around Napier - one of NZ's most historic wine regions.

Warm, dry, Mediterranean; the bay's mild climate suits full-bodied red varieties.

South Africa's Western Cape, in a valley around the historic university town of Stellenbosch, near Cape Town.

Mediterranean with warm, sunny days and cool Atlantic breezes; season is long and dry.

Western Cape, north of Cape Town - a bold, dry landscape of wheat fields, old vines and hot summer.

Very hot, dry Mediterranean summers; the region's old bush vines are rooted in ancient weathered soils.

Southwestern Germany, along the steep banks of the Mosel river and its tributaries (Saar, Ruwer).

One of the world's coolest wine regions; the river mirrors sunlight onto the steep slopes.

Southwestern Germany, the second-largest wine region, stretching along the border with Alsace.

The warmest and sunniest of the major German regions - the 'German Tuscany'.

Lower Austria, along a dramatic 30km stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems.

Continental, cool and dry; the Danube and steep terraces create a special microclimate.

Central Germany, on the north bank of the Rhine below the Taunus mountains, near Wiesbaden.

Cool but protected; the south-facing slopes of the Rhine create warm, dry conditions for Riesling.

A Greek island in the Cyclades - the westernmost, and most remarkable, ancient volcano.

Hot, dry, wind-blasted; the volcanic islandscape and sea spray can surprise you with freshness.

Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.

Continental: hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters; the Caucasus moderates the climate.

The upper Rhône valley in Switzerland's French-speaking Valais canton, around Sion.

Extreme Alpine sun and dryness; among the warmest alpine regions, with stark diurnal swings.

Northern Italy, around Milan and the lakes

Continental with Alpine influence; cool, dry summers moderated by the lakes.

Northeastern Hungary, around the town of Tokaj and the Szerencs foothills of the Zemplén mountains.

Continental, with wet springs, hot summers and autumn mists rising from the Bodrog and Tisza rivers — perfect conditions for botrytis (noble rot).

Northern Hungary, at the foothills of the Bükk mountains, east of Budapest.

Continental with warm sunny slopes and cooling mountain air; reliable autumn weather for late-ripening reds.

Southern Hungary, near the Danube and Croatian border — Hungary's warmest, most Rhône-like red-wine region.

Mediterranean-influenced continental; Hungary's warmest region, ideal for ripe Cabernet, Merlot and Kékfrankos.

Cool-climate high country around Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales, ringed by the Brindabella ranges and the Bungendore plain.

Cool and continental with strong diurnal range; long sunny days and cold nights preserve acidity and perfume.

Northern New Zealand, around the country's largest city: from the Kumeu hills west of the city to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Maritime and temperate with warm summers; the surrounding sea moderates extremes and lengthens the season.

A volcanic Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic, roughly 700 km west of Morocco.

Subtropical maritime with warm, humid, windy conditions - historically ideal for fortification and the slow oxidative 'cooking' of wine.

Eastern United States, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the rolling piedmont around Charlottesville and Monticello.

Humid continental with hot summers - a challenging but improving climate for viticulture.

Central-eastern Italy along the Adriatic, between the Apennines and the sea.

Continental with a strong Adriatic influence; warm days, cool nights, and breezes that give the region its name (from 'the east wind').

Eastern Austria along the Hungarian border, from the Leithagebirge hills to Lake Neusiedl.

Continental, with warm Pannonian summers and the shallow, mist-giving Lake Neusiedl to the east.

Southern Italy around Naples, from the volcanic slopes of Mount Vesuvius to the hills of Avellino, Benevento and the Cilento coast.

Hot, dry Mediterranean summers tempered by altitude in the interior hills where the best white sites sit.

Upstate New York, south of Lake Ontario, around the deep glacial lakes that give the region its name.

Cool continental, moderated by the lakes: long, mild growing seasons and autumn warmth retained by lake effect.

Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian coast between Crotone and the hills of the Marchesato.

Hot and dry with strong maritime influence; sea breezes keep acidity honest on the coast.